Team India won by an incredible margin of 64 runs in Sunday night’s Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign opener all thanks to all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who ripped apart the Pakistan’s batter order.
She had just returned from a terrible tour of South Africa and Australia, when she had neither taken many wickets nor scored many runs outside of some odd games. However, she recorded her career-high on Sunday.
Pakistan was never able to stay in the chase as Deepti returned a five-wicket haul, her second in women’s T20Is. In addition to adding to Deepti’s incredible record in , the figures of 5 for 10 in 4 overs increased her total number of international wickets to 354. She is now only two wickets away from making women’s international cricket history.
Most Wickets In Women’s International cricket
- Jhulan Goswami – 355 Wickets
- Deepti Sharma – 354 Wickets
- Katherine Sciver – 335 Wickets
- Ellyse Perry – 332 Wickets
- Sophie Ecclestone – 327 Wickets
With 355 wickets, former India bowler Jhulan Goswami now holds the record for most wickets taken in international cricket. Currently at 354, needs two more wickets to make history.
Deepti’s career-best returns earned her the Player of the Match title. She claimed that even though she was not taking wickets in the first half of 2026, she was not particularly concerned since she knew that her time would eventually come.
“I wasn’t worried when I didn’t get wickets because I knew when the right time would come, I would step up,” Deepti said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“I like these kinds of wickets because there was turn on offer. I varied my pace. Because the ball was turning, I had to be slow in the air and believe in myself and bowl in the right areas. But I want to specially mention the partnership (91 runs) between Smriti (Mandhana) and Harry di (Harmanpreet Kaur),” Deepti said.